‘Green’ AV systems a key area of focus at InfoComm

From staff reports

July 15th, 2011

Casio’s Short Throw lampless projectors allow a 60-inch image to be projected from less than three feet from the screen.

From low-energy digital displays and lampless projectors, to control systems that automatically turn off electronic devices when they aren’t in use, to “network monitors” that bring the concept of network computing back to life, products designed to save energy and reduce operating costs were a key area of focus at InfoComm 2011 in Orlando.

Christie MicroTiles

Christie demonstrated its new MicroTiles technology—visual building blocks, 12 inches high by 16 inches wide and 10 inches deep, that can easily be stacked and tiled in any conceivable shape, creating a flexible and modular digital display. With no practical limit to the number of tiles that can be used in a display, Christie MicroTiles create a low-energy, virtually seamless display canvas with an unlimited number of super-fine pixels, the company said.

Christie MicroTiles reportedly have 70 times more pixels than the most popular 4mm surface-mount display LEDs, resulting in crisp, clear, flawless images. What’s more, their environmentally friendly and low-energy design makes them inexpensive to operate.

Christie MicroTiles are free of hazardous substances and LEED certified. They have no lamps or other consumables, so there’s nothing that gets “used up” and thrown away. They have no moving parts that require replacement or recalibration, and their LEDs are rated at 65,000 hours to half brightness—or more than seven years, Christie said.

The MicroTiles have built-in ecopower consumption modes, and their adjustable brightness means you only use the wattage you need for your setting. Plus, the tiles are designed for reinvention: They’re easy to disassemble and reassemble so you can use them in different configurations for different spaces and extend their life. The MicroTiles’ metal housing and internal components are 80 percent recyclable and made from 90 percent recoverable materials, Christie said.

Lampless projectors

Last year, Casio introduced its Green Slim Projector, an eco-friendly projector that uses a patented hybrid “solid state” light source—combining laser and LED technology to achieve high brightness—instead of a traditional mercury lamp.

Designed to last 20,000 hours, or about 18 school years, the Green Slim Projector aimed to save schools money by eliminating the need for expensive lamp replacements. A typical mercury lamp lasts roughly 2,000 hours and costs about $400 to replace—meaning schools could spend thousands of dollars in new lamps over the life of a projector.